Politics

French press freedom NGO protests Eritrean reporters' detention

Reporters Without Borders staged a demonstration in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris to mark the release of its annual report on press freedom on Tuesday.

Dec 17, 2014

L'Oreal former head kicks up stink over chip stall at ski resort

British businessman and L'Oral former head Lindsay Owen-Jones sues a chip stall outside his chalet in the French Alps, claiming it represents an 'olfactory nuisance.'

Dec 17, 2014

Treatments offer hope for Ebola breakthrough in 2015

In Sierra Leone, despite major public health efforts to contain Ebola, it continues to spread. But with a number of treatments in development, medical professionals hope that the epidemic could be stopped in 2015.

Dec 17, 2014

Dutch launch 'intelligent bicycle' that warns of danger

The Netherlands launched its first-ever "intelligent bicycle", fitted with an array of electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country.

Dec 17, 2014

Six dead in US shootings, manhunt for gunman

Police are hunting for a gunman suspected of killing six people and seriously wounding another in a series of shootings near the northeastern US city of Philadelphia.

Dec 17, 2014

Turkey football fans on trial for 'seeking to oust Erdogan'

Thirty-five supporters of Turkish top flight football side Besiktas went on trial in a hugely controversial case on charges of seeking to overthrow the authorities led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2013 protests.

Dec 17, 2014

France's Sauternes wine threatened by new train line

Winemakers in southwestern France's Bordeaux are concerned about a proposed high speed train line that could affect the microclimate required for the region's sweet wine.

Dec 16, 2014

Russians see the ruble tumble to an all-time record low

The Russian ruble set a new all-time record low on Tuesday after bouncing back briefly despite an emergency move by Russia's central bank to raise interest rates to 17 percent.

Dec 16, 2014

Nigerians flee to Niger to escape Boko Haram attacks

Niger is facing a massive influx of Nigerian refugees fleeing deadly attacks by Islamist group Boko Haram. The UN says at least 115,000 people have crossed the border from Nigeria since April 2013.

Dec 16, 2014

Pakistan Sells Out PoK Resources to China

Muzaffarabad, December 16, 2014: Pakistan goes ahead with Chinese projects in PoK defying local resistance, Islamabad selling Pakistan's natural resources to China without consent of Kashmiris. Notwithstanding India's objections and International norms to China-backed developmental projects in PoK, Pakistan is going ahead with its plans, including the multi-billion dollar Sino-Pak economic corridor. Chinese strategy vis--vis PoK appears to be heading toward gaining tacit control of the region - both militarily and politico-diplomatically. By increasing investments and sponsoring various "development projects" in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of PoK, the activities involving several thousand Chinese personnel belonging to the construction corps of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) seem to point towards an expansionist Chinese geo-strategic agenda in the region. China's Western Highway, also known as the Lhasa-Kashgar/Xinjiang Highway connects Xinjiang to Tibet. From Quilanaldi, the road branches off to the Khunjerab Pass and, subsequently, becomes the Karakoram Highway right up to Gilgit. Pakistan is also selling off mines in the region. Locals are here very angry.

Dec 16, 2014

India condemns terror attack on innocent children in Peshawar

New Delhi, Dec 16 (ANI): Cutting across party lines, Indian political and social leaders on Tuesday condemned the attack by a terror outfit on a Pakistani school, terming it as 'inhuman', and adding that the Islamic Republic has fallen prey to its own Frankenstein's monster. Leaders Shashi Tharoor, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sanjay Raut, Arvind Kejriwal, Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid condemned the attack. Child Rights Activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi also condemned the attack. The ongoing attack on Peshawar's Army Public School by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has reportedly led to the death of 130 people, including at least 100 students.

Dec 16, 2014

Australia takes stock after 16-hour cafe siege

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott pays tribute to the two people who died in the Sydney cafe siege and says the incident 'echoed around the world'.

Dec 16, 2014

Students pen longest letter to PM Modi on the 2nd anniversary of Delhi gang rape

New Delhi, Dec 16 (ANI): Students on Tuesday (December 16) penned the longest letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking safety for women and faster penalty of the accused as the country observes the second anniversary of the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a bus in New Delhi. A poll published by a newspaper said 90 percent of 2,557 women surveyed, did not see any improvements in safety. The same survey found 86 percent of respondents avoided going out alone after dark. Police and government officials argue that a host of measures have been introduced to improve safety, but add that violence against women is a far more deep-rooted problem which cannot be solved easily.

Dec 16, 2014

Mass conversion row accused Nand Kishore Balmiki arrested

Agra, Dec 16 (ANI): The Agra police on Tuesday arrested Nand Kishore Balmiki, who was the main accused in the alleged forced re-conversion case of over 100 people to Hinduism. Balmiki surrendered himself at the Hari Parbat police station on Tuesday morning, the Agra police said. The police said that further investigator is on in the case.

Dec 16, 2014

Indian Army observes Victory Day in JandK

Srinagar, Dec 16 (ANI): Indian army on Tuesday commemorated Victory Day and paid respects to the soldiers killed in the 1971 war against Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. December 16 marks the 45th anniversary of the 1971 IndiaPakistan war, the first war the Indian army had won after World War-II. General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Kashmir-based 15 Corps of the Indian army, Lieutenant General Subrata Saha, paid his respects to the soldiers by laying a wreath at a memorial and said the nation won the war after many sacrifices. Saha said that to mark the day some events have been organised to honour and preserve the contribution of the deceased soldiers. Meanwhile, in Nagrota town in Jammu district, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Kashmir-based 16 Corps of the Indian army, Lieutenant General KH Singh, also paid tribute to the soldiers.

Dec 16, 2014